'A Day in the Life': Remote but Connected

At EGI Foundation, 30 staff members (who are not based in the Netherlands) work from home full time and  staff members who are living in the Netherlands, work from home multiple days per week. Every day, employees check  from their home office in 10 different countries (and 3 different timezones) - and while we’re all at our desk during core office hours, our days turn out to be vastly different!

But what does ‘a day in the life’ look like? Let’s dive into a typical workday of our staff members.

Let’s start with morning routines. While we are supposed to be online during core hours, starting hours in the morning can vary greatly. Of course there are timezone differences, but climate and personal preferences  also play a role. Our early birds start their day as early as 6:30 CET, with one notable colleague even being behind his desk at 5:00. However, most co-workers come online between 08:00 and 09:00 - usually not without a firm dose of coffee or tea! Quite some people like to squeeze in a workout in the gym or go for a run before they start, and they all stress the benefits of doing something active in the morning (not only physically, but also because it gets one out of the house).

Of course there’s also something like family life. Kids need to be taken to school, dogs need to be walked, and breakfasts need to be made (some lucky colleagues even get their breakfast prepared for them!). Working from home definitely makes managing household chores a bit easier - the absence of commuting time frees up a lot of space - and being able to squeeze in doctor's appointments or grocery shopping during the day (of course lost time is compensated!), makes combining work and family life a lot smoother.

Once the work day is in full progress, how to stay focused? Choosing the right soundtrack turns out to be a key factor! For some, this will be the radio, but others inform they enjoy absolute quiet! Most people also like to stretch their legs between working blocks - this can be walking to the kitchen for another cup of coffee or a quick household chore, but short errands such as a trip to the grocery can also ‘break’ the day. 

Working from home means that you get to design your own office space - a big perk, and for some colleagues a work of dedication and thorough preparation. Some of the lucky ones have desks looking out to lush green gardens, actual wildlife (!), or a nice cityscape. Others don’t have the best view but pay special attention to what’s behind them (remember we are a lot on videocalls!). Some colleagues impose a clean desk policy on themselves while others - at least judging from the photos they sent in - resolutely go for the opposite effect …

All of the above might make you think that working from home is all peace and quiet, but what are the downsides? Almost all colleagues mentioned that they miss ‘in person’ interaction - not only for work stuff, but also during the breaks. Seeing our colleagues in the office enjoying their Doner Durum Day on Thursdays is a bittersweet experience for some who have to eat lunch alone! 

While in general, people report being able to focus more at home, plenty of interruptions are bound to happen. Most frequently cited are, of course, postmen and delivery guys ringing at the door. Working from home seems to imply, inevitably, that you turn into the package pick-up point for your street. 

But, perhaps unsurprisingly, most disturbances turn out to be domestic. Kids or spouses bursting in during meetings, walking around in the background, and shouting with questions, are often reported as the most frequent disturbances. Especially because we mostly sit behind a screen, it can be hard to explain to kids (and to some spouses…) that we’re not just ‘playing on the computer’ but that we are actually working!

Finally, we should also mention the phenomenon of ‘pet intrusion’: cats and dogs demanding food and cuddles during important meetings happen more often than not. Some (lucky) colleagues even report distractions outside their window by local wildlife: of course, there’s always birds (in one case, unfortunately, a very noisy woodpecker), but foxes and rabbits roaming the gardens, and even deer peeking in through the window, are also reported on!

We hope this glimpse into our daily life can inspire you to make working from home 'work' for you. If you’re curious about how remote working affects work schedules and teamwork, stay tuned - we’ll look into that next month!